Termites as Bioindicators of Habitat Quality in the Caatinga, Brazil: Is There Agreement Between Structural Habitat Variables and the Sampled Assemblages?
Neotrop. entomol
;
40(1): 39-46, Jan.-Feb. 2011. graf, tab
Artículo
en Inglés
| LILACS
| ID: lil-578832
ABSTRACT
The composition of termite assemblages was analyzed in three caatinga sites of the Estação Ecológica do Seridó, located in the municipality of Serra Negra do Norte, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. These sites have been subjected to selective logging, and cleared for pasture and farming. A standardized sampling protocol for termite assemblages (30h/person/site) was conducted between September 2007 and February 2009. At each site we measured environmental variables, such as soil pH and organic matter, necromass stock, vegetation height, stem diameter at ankle height (DAH) and the largest and the smallest crown width. Ten species of termites, belonging to eight genera and three families, were found at the three experimental sites. Four feeding groups were sampled wood-feeders, soil-feeders, wood-soil interface feeders and leaf-feeders. The wood-feeders were dominant in number of species and number of encounters at all sites. In general, the sites were not significantly different in relation to the environmental variables measured. The same pattern was observed for termite assemblages, where no significant differences in species richness, relative abundance and taxonomic and functional composition were observed between the three sites. The agreement between composition of assemblages and environmental variables reinforces the potential of termites as biological indicators of habitat quality.
Texto completo:
Disponible
Índice:
LILACS (Américas)
Asunto principal:
Ecosistema
/
Isópteros
Límite:
Animales
País/Región como asunto:
America del Sur
/
Brasil
Idioma:
Inglés
Revista:
Neotrop. entomol
Asunto de la revista:
Biologia
/
ZOOLOGIA
Año:
2011
Tipo del documento:
Artículo
País de afiliación:
Brasil
Institución/País de afiliación:
Univ Federal do Rio Grande do Norte/BR
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